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Teens Who Had Transplants Head to Homecoming

Two teenagers from the D.C. area first met as toddlers when they both had rare organ transplant surgeries. Now, they're headed to homecoming together. News4's Julie Carey has the sweet story. (Published Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017)

Two teenagers who met 13 years ago as children, when they both had rare organ transplants, are set to go to a homecoming dance together in the Washington, D.C., area.

There was a time when Jakob “J.J.” Jasin's and Grace Haddad's parents feared they might not live to see kindergarten. Now, they're headed to Jasin's homecoming dance together.

Jasin and Haddad first met when they were toddlers. They were some of the first people in the world to get liver transplants to cure a life-threatening disorder, their families say.

Over the years they saw each other at summer camp, but their relationship deepened at this year's camp. Jasin said it was easy to fall for someone who understood what he went through as a child.

They both cope with medication, getting their blood drawn regularly and the fear that their bodies could reject the organs.

They were both battling maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), a rare genetic disorder that prevents the liver from producing protein. Left untreated, MSUD leads to severe brain damage. Their parents lived in constant fear of dire complications.

The solution came at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UMPC. Jasin was one of the first people in the world to undergo a liver transplant to treat MSUD, his family said. Three weeks later, Haddad had the same transplant.

Over the years, their families stayed in touch. The children saw each other at a summer camp for kids who had had transplants.